Electric heater for hot-water systems



July 2,' 1929.

S.' J. LONERGAN ELECTRIC HEATER FOR HOT WATER SYSTEH'S Filed on. 2z. 1927 2 Sheets-sheet 1 Jfo' July 2, 1929.

S. J. LONERGAN ELECTRIC HEATER FOR HOT WATER SYSTEMS Filed oct. 22. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented July 2, 1.9.29.

y UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE'.

SIMON J'. LONERGAN, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO BASTIAN-MORLEY COM.'-

IPANY, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION 0F INDIANA. i

ELECTRIC HEATER FOR lVHO'J-ITATEIR SYSTEMS.

Application' led october 22, 1927. Serial No. 227,947.

My invention relates to an electric lheater' for hot water systems forhousehold or other uses and one of its objects is to provide a highly eilicient heater which is simple. inv

construction, cheap to manufacture and inexpensive ,to operate.

Another object is tol provide a compact electric water heater embodying but a few parts all of which may be readily and quickly assembled and disassembled 'for thorough' by reference to the drawingswhereinf- Figure 1 is a vertical sectionl through an electric heater 'embodying my invention;-

Flg. 2 is a section taken on -line 2-2 of 3 is a vertical section through a modi- Flg. Y, fied orm of electric heater;l

Fig. 1 is a sectiontaken on lineA-4 of, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a' diagrammatic view of a portion of one form of hot water system including an electric heater embodying my invention and a storage tank. r

Referring particularly to the form of heater shown in Figures 1 and 2, 'I employ a-heater shell 9 com rising a circular metal outer wall 10 and circular metal inner wall 11 integrally joined together and uniformly spaced apart throughout-their length by a plurality of diametrically opposed-arms 12 to -form a water heating and circulating chamber 13 therebetween. I preferably employ four'of these arms-12 arranged at two. sides only of the walls, but such armsand their location may be varied without departing from my invention. `The outer wall 10 is open at the bottom and its lower edge lis provided with a horizontal circumferential flange 10 audits upper end is curved and rovided with a boss 14 having a threade v the hot water circulating ipe 15 leading to estra'getank 16 (Eig. 5S). The inner wall the number of* opening adapted to receiveis closed 'at its top and open at its bottom to receive agheating element 17 which will be morefully described hereinafter.

The heater shell 9 is carried upon a hollow 'circular base 18 having an opening 18a in its top of a diameter substantially the same as theinside diameter ofthe inner wall 11. The fiat top of the base 18 has a circular projecting flange 18b to provide a suiliciently wide surface for receiving and supporting the flanged bottom edge 10a of the outer wall 10 and the lower edge of the inner wall 11. A gasket 19 of lany suitable material is disposed between the base 18 and the shell, i

and a. plurality of screwsl 20 freely pass,

through openings in the shell flange 108L and engage threaded openings linl the adjacent portion of the base flange 18b to hold these parts tightly together and provide a water tight joint between the same.

The heating element may be of Jany desired construction but I preferably employ a unitl comprising a circular and, preferably, porcelain base 21 adapted to pass through the opening inthe top of the base 18 andwithin the inner wall 11i and having a circum-v ferential flange 21a around its lower edge adapted to engage the lower side of thetop of base 18 where it is held in place by a' plurality of screws 22 which freely pass through the flange and engage threaded openings vin the base top.- This porcelain base21 carries a central upright standard 23 over which is passed .a plurality of porcelain discs 24.-

These discs are spaced apartv vby `tubular pieces 25 which are passed over the standard 22 and are formed, preferably, `of heat resisting material, such as Monelmetal. The

base 21 is alsol provided withl suitable electric terminals 26 to which are connected electric resistance wires 27 which pass throughsuitable openings inand are laced upon fthe porcelain disc-s 24 as shownin Fig. 1'. The terminals 26 are connected to an ordinary form of switchx28 by Wires 29, the switch being carried uponla'laterally extended 'and j inclined side portion of the base 1,8 and is l ,connected to a sourcefof electric energy byv j -l wire 30 passing outwardly through an insulating bushing' 31 in' the opposite sideof base18." "The switch is operated by thev usual control button 28". u

The 'base 18 Vis 'provided with acircul r openin' in its bottom adapted to' receive e cylindrical inset and 4upright portionf-Bgj of a cylindrical base plate or support 32; and the base 18 is adapted to rest upon the projectin part of the base plate. The base plate isvv urther provided with a boss 33 1n its bottom having a threaded opening therein which receives the upper threaded part of a supporting standard 34 of any desired length to carry the heater at the proper height. The lower part of the standard may be provided with a foot 34a which is secured to the ioor. The heater is secured to the base plate 32 by suitable fastening devices passing through a plurality of openings in the side -walls of the base 18 and engaging aligned openings 35 in the cylindrical upright part 32a of such base plate.

AMy invention provides for the use of a longv heater casing with a correspondingly long water circulating chamber and heating surface, andmakes possible the use of a long heating element which is so constructed that there is a low transfer of heat per square inch of heating area, along the heating surface, which insures that the electric resistance materials do not reach excessive temperatures, tending to cause their disintegration.. However, the total heating effect resulting from the water passing over the entire heater surface is sufficient to heat the water tothe desired extent and to cause a fast circulation of the same.

The llow heating effect at any one point also prevents the usual deposit of lime, et cetera, caused by the water contacting with a highly heated surface and which would also tend to insulate such surface. Furthermore the fast circulation tends to eliminate the collection of insulating deposits on the heating surface with the total'result that the heating surface isal'ways clean and the maximum efficiency' of the heater is always obtained; otherwise if deposits should form the insulating effect would cause the heating element to become overheated requiring frequent repair and replacement of the same, which would lrender operation and maintenance very expensive, and the heat generated would not be fully effective due to the insula-k t-ion'eifectl My invention permits of the use of parts, as explained, which overcomes all of thesev objections.. l u, p

In operation, with reference to Figs. 1 and 5, cold water enters"the storage tankA 16 through the supply pipe 36. This water is heated by passing from the tank 16 through pipe 37 to the water heating chamber 13 of the heater shell 9. As the water in this g chamber is heated it circulates upwardly, in a manner well understood, and is further `heated as it passes along and it nally passes through the pipe 15 to the top of the storage tank from which it may be drawn through the service pipe 38. This action takes place continuously as long as the heater is in operatlon, the water circulating upwardly inchamber 13 being replaced by the incoming water through pipe 37. The chamber 13 may be drained without disassembly of the parts through pipe 39 which may be normally closed by any well known form of valve (not shown). y

In the modified form shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer and inner walls 40 and 41 are uniformly spaced apart throughout their length to form a long waterwheating and circulating space 42, and are integrally formed and joined at their lower edges as at 43. The inner wall is open at its lower end to receive the heating unit 44 which is similar in all respects to that of Fig. 1. In this form the support 45 for the switch 46 is formed integrally with the outer wall,`-such support being inclined to make the switch readily ac.

cessible. The switch support has an opening 47 in its bottom through which the wires 48 and 48a pass. The bottom part of the shell is extended downwardly to provide an integral circular skirt 49- having an open bottom adapted to receive a base plate 5.0 similar to that described in connection with Figure 1. This skirt has suitable bushings 51 formed, preferably, of porcelain through which the electric heater and line wires pass. This form of heater may be associated with the storage tank as shown in Fig. 5, and its operation is the same as the form of Figure 1.

From 4 the foregoing it will be readily seen that I employ a very small number of parts compactly arranged and which may be readily andquickly taken apart, and thoroughly cleaned; it is not necessary to detach all parts for cleaning of the water chamber and. in each instance, the heating element' need not be disturbed except in the case of repair or replacement of the same; and such Y arrangement enables the use of a heating element adapted to. generate only a small amount of heat at any one point which, with the long heating surface, heats the water to the desired extent, keeps the water in rapid circulation and prevents the 'accumulation of insulating lime, and other, deposits on the heating surface.

While I have shown and` described only two forms of my invention it is to be under- .throughout its length by a plurality of arms located intermediatethe ends of said walls, the spacing of said walls providing acircular water heatlng and circulating chamber, a base for said shell,a heating element carried by said base and extending within and substantially throug out said inner wall, a switch carried by sa1d base and connected to said heating element land to a source of electric energy, and a member carried by an upright standard and upon which said ba'se is fixed for supporting-said heater.

2 In an .electric heater, the combination y ber; amember attached to said outer wall 'and serving asia closure for the lower end O said chamber; a heating'element of low inl vtensity extending within and throughout base ,member for carrying the heater as al said inner wall, said element including a base supported by said member; an electric switch carried by said member and connected to 'said element and to a source-of electric en'- e'rgy; land a support connected to said meni-l ber for carrying the shell.

3. In an electric heater let therein, a long cylindrical innenwall smaller in diameter and shorter than said outer wall to provide a water heating andi.

circulating space therebetween, a base member along the lower -open'endsl of said wallsw and cooperating therewith for closingthe- Y water space therebetween, a heating element extending within and substantially throughout said inner wall and including a flanged' base, theiianged portion of said base being secured to said chamber closure member; a

support carried byi an upright standard and' having a portion removably attached to said whole; 4

.4. In an electric heater, the combination of a heater casing comprising an outervcylindrical wall, another cylindrical wall of lesser diameter and length within said outer "wa-ll forming Ja water heating and circulating space therebetween, said walls being integrally' connected a heating element extending within and substantially throughout said inner wall-and including a cylindrical base part extending within said inner wall and having a flange connected to said casing for supporting said element -in position; and a'support mounted upon a vertical standard the combination. ,of a shell haying a long cylindrical outer 'wall having a rounded top with'a Waterlout- 'member' extending and associated with said casing for carrying the heater as a whole.

5. In an electric water heater, the combination' of a casing comprising two integrally connected shells one of lesser diameter and' length and disposed within the other to form a water circulating s ace therebetween which is orinverted U- ape in vertical section,lsaid outer shell having a circumferential flange at its lower edge and the lower edge ofthe inner shell terminating flush therewith, a member having a flat wp shell edges for closin said water space; a heating element extending through an opening in the flat top of said 'member and within and Vsubstantially throughout said inner shell and having a base with a flange adapted to be connected to said flat top; a switch support on said member carrying a switch connected to said element and to a source of electric energy; and a sup orting standard having an`upright cylindrlcal part passing throu h an opening in said member and`attache thereto, said part having a lateral extension at its lower edge upon which said member rests. I

6. In an electric heater, the combination of a casing comprising two integrally joined length and disposed within the other to form a 'water heating and circulating space therebetween f which is of inverted U-'shape in vertical section, said outer wall having a Vcircumferential flan e at its' lower edge; a om the lower edge of secured against said flange and lower -cylindrical walls, one of lesser diameter and,

said inner wall across'the end of.' said water space and secured t0 said ange for sealing said water space; an outlet in the outer wall es-r at the top of .said space; an inlet in said u outer wall at-the bottom 'of said space; a heating element passing within and substantially throughout said inner shell and having -a base with a flange adapted to be secured to said member; a switch support integral with Asaid member and carrying a switch'connected to saidA element and to 'a source of electric' energy; and a supporting standard having an upright'cylindrical part passingl through an openlng in said member and a latera extension upon which said member rests;l

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

, sIMoN J. LONERGAN. 

